The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-11-10
CAPITOL BOARD.
Lively Meeting Held Saturday
Afternoon.
Treasurer Lubbock and Attorney
General Hogg Express Some
Plain Opinions.
Statements From the Commits
sloners and superintendent.
The Dome Question
Laid over.

At half past o'clock Saturday after
noon a small squad of gentlemen could
have been noticed leisurely walking up
the hill toward the big capitol. They
we're the jury of inquest upon that build
ing-more popularity known as the CAPT
toll board-and the party was made up of
Governor Ross, Attorney General Hogg,
Comptroller Mccall and Treasurer Lub-
book. Upon the assembling of the board,
read the proposition to make certain
changes in the stairways was read.
Attorney-general Hogg said he was OPP
posed to making any kind of change in
this direction.
Governor Lubbock said his understand.
ing of the contract was that these steps
we're to be smoothly finished and we'll
painted, so as to present handsome ap,
pearance. He was, like General Hogg,
opposed to any change. Mr.. Mccall con-
CURED in this view, and the proposition
was, accordingly, rejected.
The next matter presented was with
regard to the ffteen-inch iron beams,
eight in number, around the well,
hole in the third and fourth
stories of the north projection. 1t was
suggested that these beams would be
insufficient to bear very severe strain of
weight, such as might at times be liable to
be placed upon them by reason Of the
presence of great crowds on these floors.
Mr.. McLauren pointedSout,u a dia-
gram, Just where the weakness lay land
charged that 1t was the fault of Architect
Myers, who had, in his specifications, di-
rected the placing of beams incapable of
supporting the amount of weight that
would be put upon them.
Governor Lubbock said that
from all present indications the
board will have to hold an
inquest on the building. "For my part"
said he, 81 want it to be thorough. We
have sent for a competent architect, and
l want him to make an examination
from top to bottom, and if, in order to
have this done, it should be necessary to
suspend work on the building, l should
favor the suspension"
The governor concluded by moving to
defer action on the proposition, which
was carried.
A recommendation was submitted to
change the plastering under the galleries
namental galvanized iron work, but this
was very promptly rejected.
The next thing in order was the letter
of Captain Walsh, which is as follows:
AUsTIN, October 81, 1887
Hon. L. s. Ross, Governor
Dear Sir--I visited the capitol building to-day fol
the first time in some months, and feel 1t duty ae
| q citizen of Texas and member for some years OF
the capitol board to call your attention to matter
of vital interest to the safety of the building The
plans, as originally adopted, provided for the con
| struction of the dome of ruble masonry This was
afterwards changed to dimension stone, and finally
| to brick. AS member of the board favored bott
the changes; the first because of its manifest ad
vanages to the building, and the second as the les:
| of two evils. BY the substitution of brick fO
stone the weight upon the foundation was lessene(
between thirty and fifty pounds for each cubic foot
aggregating Over'three million pounds, while moth
ing was detracted from the strength secured by thu
use of stone.
l say the less of two evils, for the reason that
was forced to select between stone and brick
while my conviction was and is, that either, in thu
quantities called for by the specifications, no
only bad construction, but absolutely dangerous
| hoped the present board would realize the fact
and make the needed changes, but | found thi
morning, from actual examination of the work an
from information gathered in the building, tina
this was not the case. On the contrary, | fin
that the cast iron now being placed in position
which specified to be e-oighths of an inch II
| tnlCknb5s, IL by dCLudl measurement HNe-elBnthSu
six-eighths of an inch, thus doublin
the contem! lated pressure as far as it goes
and by this added weight destroyin
the advantage gained by the substitution
of galvanized iron for the higher portions. Now
from my figuring, find that, should the four foo
wall of masonry be continued to the height con
templated in the plans, there will be pressure OF
the foundations of fifteen tons per square foot
| when X tons would be the maximum allowed BY
| any competent engineer for such construction. IL
continue the construction of the dome in this man
ner is, from my point of view, suicidal, and can
not think Won will continue when satisfied of the
danger Usually in the erection of such structures
a large margin of safety is maintained, and ever
then the crushing of the substrncture is regarded
as remote possibility, while with our dome, there
| is a remote possibility that 1t will not crush.
| do not wish to pose as an alarmist or prophet
| of evil, but, as one of the original board which
adopted these plans and specifications, l feel the
full measure of my responsibility to the people Of
Texas and al earnest desire, while cOntesslng the
error, to have 1t corrected before it ia too late.
know there is feeling against changes of con
tract, but fail to see 6ny valid reason why the
present board should be forced by the errors of its
predecessors to continue a faulty construction
The present board is in no way responsible for
this error in the plans and certainly will not de-
sire TO share the responsibility by perpetrating
the error. | will not presume to indicate an i'm
proved construction, but would earnestly suggest
that you ask of your supervising architect anC
commissioners whether the present construction
is safe and ii the pressure on the foundation is moi
am sir, yours respectfully, W. {. WALSH.
This brought up the lively discussion of
the meeting. General Walker and the
commissioners submitted an estimate of
the amount of relief that could be given,
by emitting that brick work from the
colorado up to the point designed in the
specifications, showing that 100000
pounds of weight would DE relieved, and
that truss bracing would impose weight
of 10000 pounds, leaving net relief of
over 100000 pounds.
Governor Ross, General Hogg and
Governor Lubbock, questioned the com
missioners and General Walker sharply
upon the work and produced from them
the Observation-Disclosures. Lee, McLauren
and Walker each making it in the course
of their remarks--that the building from
top to bottom had been constructed in
strict accordance with the plans and speci-
fications, and that there is not ON the
American continent to-day stronger or
more substantial structure than this.
There is not, they said, crack in the
building, except the one discovered in the
arch, and if there is any weak
ness at all it is in the dome.
They are united in expressing
anxiousness that the board would bring a
consulting architect to examine the work.
Governor Lubbock wondered where Walsh
got all his information, and Mr. Nc
Lauren said he got it from Mr.. Wilke.
eyes, and as soon as Wilke stirred up